Page 129 of Scars Like Wings

I nodded. “You make it sound like a proposal, but I did say yes!”

“I knew you would!” Simone exclaimed. “Ohmigods, you wouldn’t believe how stressed Quinn was when she was planning everything. She texted ussomany questions. It was so cute.”

I looked between them incredulously. “You both were in on it?”

Maisie nodded. “The girl has big feelings for you, babe. She wanted everything to be perfect for you. Especially since she wasn’t going to be there in person to give it all to you.”

“Y’all are going to make me cry. That’s so sweet that she texted you both! It was absolutely perfect. I still can’t believe it. I always have to touch the bracelet to make sure it’s real and that it all really happened,” I said, absently touching said bracelet to right it on my wrist.

“Byrd. The girl bought you a spa day and bought out a fucking theme park for you for the day. You have that girl wrapped around your finger,” Maisie said.

“Well, yeah! But I mean, it’s crazy that she feels that way about me. Like, I’m nobody. It’s wild that she wants to spoil me like this.”

“Well, you are everything to her, Bee. She obviously cares about you and wants you to be happy. Plus, you are a badass, smarty sweetheart who deserves all the love and the whole world,” Simone said. “I totally understand what you mean, though. Cole gave me afirst editioncopy ofJane Eyrejust because he saw it and thought of me. They don’t even seem like real people.”

“They really don’t honestly, but there’s more,” I told them the story from the grimoire about Mom’s pregnancy and her attack. Again, I wanted to tell them about Quinn, her daggers, and what she had told me on Halloween, but I swallowed down that desire. It wasn’t my story to tell, and I didn’t know if Quinnwould be okay with me telling it. It seemed like a secret told to me in confidence. Plus, she had told me such tiny details about everything, and that was like pulling teeth to get. I didn’t want to betray her trust and lose all the positive momentum we had.

I also kept Mom’s ritual to myself. Yes, these girls were like my sisters, but there was something that made me hesitate in telling them. Was it embarrassment or shame? Was it just that this felt like something for just me and my mom? I wasn’t sure.

“Oh, my gods, Byrd. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe your mom got attacked like that!” Simone placed her hand on my arm.

“That’s insane. But it does mean that we know your parents are at least some kind of a shifter. And a very powerful one at that. I mean, wind and fucking lava powers? That’s fire as fuck, no pun intended.”

“Yeah, but I still have so many questions. Like, why was she attacked in the first place? Reading her attackers’ questions to her reminded me of what your sperm donor said, Maze?—”

“Love that you called him that. Please go on.” Maisie smiled.

“He had said, ‘I would at least make your death easier and more profitable.’ So, whatever Mom and Pops were—and inherently me—there are people out there that want us dead for their own gain.”

“Yeah, but why? I mean, what could your family have that is so valuable but that you only have when you are dead?” Simone asked.

“I have no idea. This sounds kind of like one of Izzy’s riddles.” I rubbed my temples.

“Well, speaking of Izzy, I have so much to tell y’all.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Well, that’s it from me, so you definitely have the floor. What’s up?”

Our server came to replace our empty glasses with the next round. After she left, Maisie said, “So, I’ve been busy working in the Vault of the Archive with Isidora.”

“Really?!” I exclaimed. “Okay, I need details yesterday.

Maisie chuckled. “Well, thanks to you and your brilliance, Isidora has been helping me learn more about fitches and how to use my powers. We have even been training together between reading the books the Archive has about fitches and Archaics. Izzy may not be a fitch, but her knowledge of them and magic in general is incredible!”

“Holy fuck, Maisie! That’s awesome!” Simone said.

“ I freaking love Izzy. I’m so obsessed with her.”

“Me too, honestly,” Maisie agreed with me. “Now, I know a lot about Archaics, even beyond the basics of just reading them to understand what the spell was for. I can see who created the Archaic, recognizing their power and rune signature within the Archaic. I can also manipulate it.”

“By manipulate, you mean…?”

Maisie’s smile was slow and wide, like the Cheshire Cat. “It means, I can find and locate the last fitch to edit your family’s grimoire.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Simone and I shouted loud enough that staff members turned to look at us.

Maisie sipped her espresso martini, preening with pride. “Dead fucking ass, babes. We can talk to her and find out what’s going on.”

“Okay, Miss Bonnie Bennett with the locator spell! I see you!”

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